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As it turns out, she's leaving Chicago on Wednesday morning. So, this was just a quick dash into my city and out. Which happens. It's a little sad, but not a big deal. I got one really lovely dinner with her. So, I'm not complaining.
She asked me if I could take off from work tomorrow. And I wanted to. Lord, but I wanted to. But the ladies in my office are out until 11:00am. There will literally be nobody there, but me, until they return from their morning meeting.
So, I can't take off.
No matter how much I might want to.
And I'm fine with that. This is me now. This is my job now. And it has to take precedence. I've been too long in the wasteland. So, I pass up a day spent with her in The Art Institute (which you may recall is one of the places we went, the last time she was here). She's going there with my friend, Vicky, instead.
As a concession, I suggested lunch with the two of them.
She said, "Well, we're thinking about getting sushi. Do you like sushi?"
I said, "Of course, I like sushi. What time do you want to go?"
"How does 1 work for you?"
"1 works just fine for me."
I heard Vicky talking in the background and then Tara came back and said, "How does 2 work for you, actually?"
"2 works just fine for me, too. I'm pretty flexible."
So we set the plan for a 2pm sushi date for the three of us.
And here's the part where I tell you how much I don't like sushi. I don't like sushi. I REALLY don't like sushi. I had it once, 9 years ago. I tried the spring rolls and the wasabi sauce and eventually ended up ignoring all of the sushi rolls and eating the tiny eggrolls that were served as garnish on the platter.
I don't dig on fish. I don't dig on spicy shit. And I don't dig on cucumbers. So, sushi bars are a whole lot of nothing for me to eat.
But I didn't tell her that. I just smiled and said, "Of course, I like sushi" and dutifully began googling sushi bars down by where I work. I found one nearby (Kamehachi, at 240 E. Ontario St) and I've been frantically scanning the menu, looking for ANYTHING that looks like it might offer tiny eggrolls as garnish.
Tomorrow, I'll meet up with those two lovely girls. And I'll try to keep from beaming at Tara and I'll order whatever I find on the menu tonight. And eat whatever comes on my plate that looks like food and smile and tell her how much I LOVE sushi and make small talk and after lunch, I'll hug her and let her go and I probably won't see her again until Christmas, if then.
On my way back to the office, I might stop off and get some lunch, to eat at my desk.
8 comments:
They will have other items besides sushi. Like yakatori chicken (which is hot and cooked) and other stuff like that. Don't fret.
BRILLIANT!
I'll have the yakatori chicken, please!
Crescent, you get the gold star for the day!
Cheers,
Mr.B
yeah dude I just looked at their lunch menu and the whole second page is stuff you will like. Chicken teriyaki, gyoza, tatsuta age, all good stuff that isn't raw. Good luck! also there is no shame in not liking sushi. Anyone who tells you differently is pretensious and misguided which neither woman you are lunching with is. whoa..that sentance structure sucked. But you get what I'm saying. Just eat what you like dude.
"eatin' sushi..."
heh heh heh
"eatin' suuuuuushi..."
heh heh heh
A Quick Note of Follow Up;
We had a lovely time. Both Vicky and Tara were in fine spirits. They'd been in the Art Institute and had seen lovely things. And they were hungry for lunch. We walked to Kamehachi and chatted as we strolled up Michigan Ave.
Kamehachi was lovely. Well designed inside AND they have these tiny privat booths in the back that you can rent for $10 for 2 hours. PERFECT for a romantic evening for two. (Mental note made of that.)
The girls ordered Dragon Rolls and Kamaki Maki. I had the Chicken Satsu, (breaded chicken breast, w/ BBQ dipping sauce, rice and miso soup). The place was pretty quiet, so the food came pretty quickly. We ate and chatted and enjoyed ourselves. The girls each had a biru (beer), but I abstained, because I was still working.
At the end of the lunch, we walked back up Michigan Ave. and the girls looked at all of the public art dresses on display. Which they loved. (They're both costume designers by trade.) I directed them both to the train and gave them big hugs goodbye. They both kissed me on the cheek and I let them go.
I let Tara know, over lunch, that I was available the rest of the evening, if she should need something, anything, from me. But she had a concert to go to out in a park somewhere. I never heard from her. And today, she began the trip to her parents farm and then home again.
I realized today, that both of the times that I saw her, we were with other people and our conversation never got very deep. I don't know much more today about her Idaho life, than I did the day before. And all the lovely parts of her life and her passions and her wants are all closed to me.
I am officially "The Nice Guy That She Sees When She Comes To Chicago." We aren't intimate anymore and she doesn't owe me anything and I don't own anything of her. We're as light as two people can possibly be together. Passing, but never touching.
Merrily, I move along...
Mr.B
Just FYI most sushi places have those private rooms/areas for rent. TANK has a nice spot in the back like that.
Biddle, don't take this the wrong way...but you subconsciously don't want to close.
That's all.
I don't think it's subconscious. It's very conscious. There's this other person living across the country from, that I want to wake up and walk next to, and I can't. She doesn't want that from me. And there's absolutely nothing I can do about it.
Now, I can dwell on this and obsess over it and let it make me miserable (even ruining the little time that I get with her) or I can try to get past it and move on, accepting that which I cannot change.
Believe me, I'm operating under no illusions. I care deeply for this person. Given my choice, I'd live my life parallel to hers. But I am not given that choice.
So, we merrily move along...
Ya know?
Mr.B
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